Lunch box



May 3, 1955 J. w. coNEY 2,707,550

LUNCH Box Filed June 22, 1953 2 sheets-sheet 1 Jacob W Coney INVENTOR.

May 3, 1955 J. w. coNEY 2,707,550

' LUNCH BOX Filed June 22, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 4

i, 6 M @3P -l Jacob W; Coney INVEN TOR.

United States Patent O LUNCH BOX Jacob W. Coney, Norwich, Conn.

Application Enne 22, 1953, Serial No. 363,116

of the box which serves to lock the sections of the box v in closed position.

Another object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is eflicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purpose for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on a line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional View taken on a line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the bottle rack.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the pivot for the rack taken on a line 66 of Figure 2; and

Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the catch for the sections of the box taken on a line 7-7 of Fig- 'il ure l.

Referring now to the drawing in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration l have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a substantially rectangular shaped bottom portion of the lunch box and the numeral 6 designates the substantially cylindrical shaped upper portion of the box, all of which may be constructed of plastic, metal, or other suitable material.

The lunch box is formed of a pair of separable side sections 7 and 8, each section including substantially onehalf of the rectangular bottom portion 5 and the side portions of the cylindrical upper portion 6 being separated along a longitudinal line offset from its longitudinal center line to separate the upper portion 6 into relatively large and small areas 9 and 10.

A pair of apertured lugs 11 are integrally formed or suitably secured to the upper surface of large portion 9 of the cylindrical portion of the box and in which split loops 12 are swingably engaged. The upper ends of the loops are loosely engaged in longitudinal slots 13 in a handle 14 to permit collapsible swinging movement of the handle.

Groups of upstanding lugs 15 are provided in the bottom of section 7 adjacent its meeting edge and the meeting edge of the bottom of section 8 is formed with a ange 16 which overlies the meeting edge of section 7 and the flange is formed with groups of openings 17 to lockably receive the lugs 15 to secure the sections of the lower portion of the box to each other in closed position.

The large area 9 of cylindrical portion 6 is formed with a pair of `internal eyes 18 in which laterally extending pins or pivots 19 on the ends of the leg portions 20 of a substantially V-shaped rack 21 are swingably engaged. The leg portions 20 of rack 21 are curved in the arc of the cylindrical portion 6, as shown more clearly in Figure 3 of the drawings, and the central or crotch portion Z2 of the rack is provided with a transversely extending locking lug 23 which is spaced from the rack by a stem 24. The stem is slidable in a slot 25 which intersects the meeting edges of areas 9 and 10 of cylindrical portion 6 to position lug 23 outwardly of the box and slot 25 extends into both areas 9 and 10 to lock the box by sliding lug 23 onto the area 10 and to unlock the box by sliding lug 23 onto the area 9.

Rack 21 is constructed of resilient material for flexing during its locking or unlocking movement and to permit removal of a bottle (not shown) adapted for supporting on the rack in the cylindrical upper portion 6 of the box.

By moving locking lug 23 into its unlocking position the section 8 of the box may be raised relative to section 7 suiciently to release lugs 15 from the openings 17 of flange 16 and separate the sections of the box.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A lunch box comprising a pair of separable side sections, and an article supporting member within the box and attached to one of said side sections, both of said side sections having a slot extending from one section to the other at their meeting edges, and a catch carried by the article supporting member externally of the box and slidably engaged in said slot for movement into and out of locking engagement with the other of said sections.

2. A lunch box comprising a pair of separable sections forming a bottom chamber and a cylindrical top charnber in the box, means releasably connecting the meeting edges of the bottom chamber to each other, an arcuate rack internally of the top chamber and attached to one of said side sections, and catch means carried by the rack and releasably connected to the other of said side sections to secure said sections in closed position.

3. A lunch box comprising a pair of box sections connected to each other for opening and closing movement, said sections having a slot intersecting the meeting edges of both sections, an article supporting member in the box and attached to one of the sections, and means carried by said member and slidably engaged in said slot for movement linto and out of locking engagement with the other of said sections.

4. A lunch box comprising a pair of box sections connected to each other for opening and closing movement, said sections having'horizontal meeting edges provided with a vertical intersecting slot, a resilient arcuate article supporting member xed at one end portion to one of the sections internally of the box, and a catch at a free end portion of said member and slidably engaged in the slot for movement into and out of locking engagement with the other of said sections, said catch being tensionally held by said member in a locking position in the lower portion of the slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,485,052 Reutter Feb. 26, 1924 1,709,140 McAtree Apr. 16, 1929 2,578,089 Piker Dec. 1l, 1951 

